Method and machine for labelling a succession of containers by means of a number of independent labelling stations

ABSTRACT

A method and machine for labelling a succession of containers, whereby each container is identified to assign to the container one of a number of possible types, and the container is then fed along a labelling path through a number of labelling stations, each of which applies respective labels to containers falling within a respective category, and is activated to apply the label to the container if the container falls within the respective category.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application is a 35 U.S.C. §371 national phase conversion ofPCT/EP2003/050382 filed 20 Aug. 2003, which claims priority of ItalianApplication No. BO2002A000550

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a method of labelling a succession ofcontainers.

The present invention may be used to particular advantage for labellinga succession of bottles in a bottling plant, to which the followingdescription refers purely by way of example.

A bottling plant comprises a number of bottling lines, each comprising asuccession of machines arranged in series. More specifically, eachbottling line may comprise a filling machine for receiving empty bottlesfrom a store and filling each with a predetermined amount of a liquidproduct; a capping machine for applying a cap to each bottle; alabelling machine for applying one or more labels to each bottle; and,possibly, a packing machine for packing a group of bottles to form arespective package.

BACKGROUND ART

Known labelling machines, such as the type described in DE19927668,DE3925842, U.S. Pat. No. 5,478,422A1, U.S. Pat. No. 5,259,913A1 orEP1167213A1, comprise a vertical-axis carousel conveyor for feeding thebottles along an annular path through at least one labelling station,where a label is applied to each bottle. Known labelling machines maycomprise either one labelling station, or two (or more) for applying,for example, a front and rear label to each bottle.

Known bottling plants of the above type are relatively bulky andexpensive by requiring an independent bottling line for each type ofliquid product. Alternatively, the same bottling line may be used fordifferent liquid products, but only at the expense of frequent typechanges (i.e. to adapt the bottling line to a different liquid product),thus obviously reducing overall output.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a method oflabelling a succession of containers, designed to eliminate theaforementioned drawbacks, and which, in particular, is cheap and easy toimplement.

According to the present invention, there is provided a method oflabelling a succession of containers, whereby each container is fedalong a labelling path through a number of labelling stations, each forapplying a respective label to a container travelling through thelabelling station; the method being characterized by assigning acategory of containers to each labelling station; identifying eachcontainer to assign to the container one of a number of possible typesbefore the container is fed along the labelling path; and onlyactivating each labelling station to apply the label to the containertravelling through the labelling station if the container falls withinthe category of containers assigned to the labelling station.

The present invention also relates to a machine for labelling asuccession of containers.

According to the present invention, there is provided a machine forlabelling a succession of containers, the machine comprising a conveyorfor feeding each container along a labelling path; and a number oflabelling stations, each located along the labelling path and forapplying a respective label to a container travelling through thelabelling station; the machine being characterized by comprising arecognition device for identifying each container and assigning to thecontainer one of a number of possible types before the container is fedalong the labelling path; each labelling station comprising respectivecontrol means for memorizing a category of containers assigned to thelabelling station, and which only activate the respective labellingstation to apply the label to the container travelling through thelabelling station if the container falls within the category ofcontainers assigned to the labelling station.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A non-limiting embodiment of the present invention will be described byway of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a schematic plan view, with parts removed for clarity, ofpart of a bottling plant featuring the labelling machine according tothe present invention;

FIG. 2 shows a larger-scale plan view of the FIG. 1 labelling machine.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Number 1 in FIGS. 1 and 2 indicates as a whole a bottling line forfilling bottles 2. Bottling line 1 comprises a known filling machine 3for receiving empty bottles 2 from an input conveyor 4, and feeding fullbottles 2 to a labelling machine 5 by means of an intermediate conveyor6. On labelling machine 5, a label 7 is applied to each bottle 2, andbottles 2 are then fed onto an output conveyor 8, which feeds bottles 2to a known packing machine (not shown).

Filling machine 3 is a so-called multiple type for filling bottles 2with four types of liquid of different colours, and comprises avertical-axis carousel conveyor 9 for receiving empty bottles 2 frominput conveyor 4 by means of a transfer drum 10, and for feeding fullbottles 2 to a vertical-axis carousel conveyor 11 by means of a transferdrum 12. Carousel conveyor 11 is connected to a known capping station 13where a cap (not shown) is applied to each bottle 2, and the full,capped bottles 2 are fed by carousel conveyor 11 to intermediateconveyor 6 by means of a transfer drum 14.

Labelling machine 5 comprises a conveyor 15 for feeding a succession ofbottles 2 along a labelling path P, which extends from the output ofintermediate conveyor 6 to the input of output conveyor 8 via arecognition station 16 and four labelling stations 17.

As shown in FIG. 2, conveyor 15 comprises a screw 18 located at theoutput of intermediate conveyor 6 and for equally spacing bottles 2supplied by intermediate conveyor 6; and a transfer drum 19 is locatedat the end of screw 18 to feed bottles 2 to a carousel conveyor 20having a vertical axis 21, and along the periphery of which are locatedrecognition station 16 and the four labelling stations 17. Morespecifically, carousel conveyor 20 comprises a central hub 22, fromwhich radiate a number of spokes 23 supporting a circular rim 24 forfeeding bottles 2 along labelling path P; and carousel conveyor 20 isconnected to a transfer drum 25 for extracting bottles 2 from carouselconveyor 20 and feeding bottles 2 to output conveyor 8.

Each labelling station 17 comprises a known labelling device 26, e.g. ofthe type described in Patent Application EP1122175A1 (in general, eachlabelling device 26 provides for applying any type of label 7, e.g.hot-glued, cold-glued, or self-adhesive); and each labelling device 26withdraws a label 7 from a respective known store (not shown in detail)and applies label 7 to a bottle 2 travelling past labelling device 26. Aknown fixed pad 27 downstream from each labelling device 26 performs arolling operation on each bottle 2 to ensure firm adhesion of label 7applied to bottle 2 by labelling device 26.

In an embodiment not shown, each labelling device 26 is mounted on acarriage slidable along a guide, and is movable along the guide by anactuating device to adapt its position with respect to carousel conveyor20 as a function of the shape and size of bottles 2.

Recognition station 16 comprises a recognition device 28 in turncomprising an optical sensor 29 for identifying, and assigning one offour possible types to, each bottle 2 travelling through recognitionstation 16. Sensor 29 typically identifies each bottle 2 according toits colour (as produced by the colour of the liquid inside bottle 2, andalso by the colour of bottle 2 itself). Alternatively, sensor 29 mayidentify each bottle 2 according to its shape and/or size.

In an alternative embodiment not shown, as opposed to recognition device28, recognition station 16 comprises a communication device foridentifying each bottle 2 by processing information from machinesupstream from labelling machine 5, and in particular from fillingmachine 3.

Each labelling station 17 comprises a control unit 30 connected torecognition device 28, and which memorizes a category of bottles 2 so asto only activate labelling station 17 to apply label 7 to the bottle 2travelling through labelling station 17 if bottle 2 falls within thecategory of bottles 2 assigned to labelling station 17. The category ofbottles 2 memorized in each control unit 30 and assigned to respectivelabelling station 17 is normally defined by a variable number of bottletypes equal to or greater than zero. Obviously, if the number equalszero, the labelling station 17 is never activated.

In actual use, labelling machine 5 is supplied by filling machine 3 witha succession of bottles 2 of four different types. As each bottle 2travels through recognition station 16, recognition device 28 identifiesand communicates the type of bottle 2 to control units 30 of labellingstations 17; and, as each bottle 2 travels through a labelling station17, the labelling station 17 is only activated by respective controlunit 30 to apply the corresponding label 7 to bottle 2 if the type ofbottle 2 falls within the category memorized in respective control unit30, i.e. only if the type of bottle 2 falls within the category ofbottles 2 assigned to the labelling station 17.

Each labelling station 17 may obviously apply labels to bottles 2 of oneor more types, and the number of types of bottles 2 supplied tolabelling machine 5 may obviously be other (more or less) than four.

In another embodiment, each labelling station 17 can adjust the positionin which respective label 7 is applied to corresponding bottle 2 as afunction of the type of bottle 2.

Labelling machine 5 as described above therefore provides for applyinglabels 7 to different types of bottles 2, and can therefore be connectedto a multiple filling machine 3 or to a number of single fillingmachines 3, thus reducing the overall size and cost of the bottlingplant.

Moreover, labelling machine 5 provides for applying labels 7 todifferent types of bottles 2 with no type change required, and istherefore suitable for use on bottling lines involving frequent changesin the type of bottles produced.

1. A method of labelling a succession of containers; the methodcomprising the following steps: identifying each container to assign toeach container one of a number of possible types before each containeris fed along a labelling path (P), each container being identified onthe basis of at least one of colour, shape and size of the container orby processing information from operating machines located upstream fromthe labelling path (P); assigning each container with one of thepossible types; feeding each container along the labelling path (P)through a number of labelling stations, each of the labelling stationsbeing configured for applying a respective label to a containertravelling through a respective labelling station; loading the labellingstations with different types of pre-printed labels and assigning toeach type of pre-printed labels a category of containers different fromthe categories of containers of the other types of pre-printed labels sothat each type of pre-printed labels loaded in a relevant labellingstation is assigned to only a limited number of related containers; andonly activating each labelling station to apply a type of pre-printedlabel to the container travelling through the labelling station if suchcontainer is of a type which falls within the category of containersassigned to the type of pre-printed labels loaded in the labellingstation; so that each labelling station applies its own pre-printedlabels to all and only the limited number of containers falling withinthe category of containers assigned to the pre-printed labels in therespective labelling station.
 2. A method as claimed in claim 1, whereineach container is identified by feeding the container through arecognition station located upstream from the labelling stations alongthe labelling path (P) and having at least one sensor for identifyingthe container.
 3. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein each containeris identified on the basis of the shape of the container.
 4. A method asclaimed in claim 1, wherein each container is identified on the basis ofthe size of the container.
 5. A method as claimed in claim 1, whereineach container is identified on the basis of the colour of thecontainer.
 6. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein each labellingstation comprises a respective guide; and a respective labelling device,which is moved along the guide to adapt its position as a function ofthe shape and size of the containers with respect to a conveyor forfeeding each container along the labelling path (P).
 7. A machine forlabelling a succession of containers; the machine comprising: a conveyorfor feeding each container along a labelling path (P), a number oflabelling stations, each loaded with a number of same type ofpre-printed labels and located along the labelling path (P) configuredfor applying a respective label to a container travelling through arespective labelling station, and a recognition device configured foridentifying each container and assigning to each container one of anumber of possible types before each container is fed along thelabelling path (P), each container being identified and assigned on thebasis of at least one of colour, shape and size of the container or byprocessing information from operating machines located upstream from thelabelling path; wherein each labelling station comprises respectivecontrol means for memorizing a category of containers assigned to arespective type of pre-printed labels loaded in the respective labellingstations which category is different from categories of containersassigned to other types of pre-printed labels loaded in other respectivelabelling stations so that each type of pre-printed labels loaded in arespective labelling station is assigned only to a limited number ofcontainers; and wherein the control means of each labelling station onlyactivate the respective labelling station to apply the respectivepre-printed label to the container travelling through the labellingstation if such container falls within the category of containersassigned to the type of pre-printed labels loaded in the labellingstation so that each labelling station applies its own pre-printedlabels to all and only the limited number of container falling withinthe category of containers assigned to the pre-printed labels.
 8. Amachine as claimed in claim 7, wherein the recognition device comprisesa recognition station located upstream from the labelling stations alongthe labelling path (P) and having at least one sensor for identifyingthe container.
 9. A machine as claimed in claim 8, wherein the sensoridentifies each container on the basis of the shape of the container.10. A machine as claimed in claim 8, wherein the sensor identifies eachcontainer on the basis of the size of the container.
 11. A machine asclaimed in claim 8, wherein the sensor identifies each container on thebasis of the colour of the container.
 12. A machine as claimed in claim7, wherein the conveyor comprises a carousel conveyor with a verticalaxis.
 13. A machine as claimed in claim 7, wherein each labellingstation comprises a respective guide; and a respective labelling device,which is mounted to move along the guide to adapt its position withrespect to the conveyor as a function of the shape and size of thecontainers.